REEL Milwaukee: The blog

Howie Goldklang is an award winning filmmaker, DJ, hairstylist and poet of the damned. His film GOD KNOWS YOUR LONELY SOUL screened at the SlamdanceFilm Festival in 2006 and is currently in feature film development with Goldklang on as writer and director. NY native and Milwaukee resident since 2004, Goldklang is co-owner of The Establishment, a salon / barber shop / spa in Shorewood. He also is the host / DJ for ROCKSTEADY, a DJ night Red Room, Burnheart's and Luna Lounge monthly. For information on film / salon / DJ happenings, please visit www.establishmentproductions.com Holler.


Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Milwaukee Film Announces The Milwaukee Show Line-up October 23 event to showcase 10 local filmmaker

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Milwaukee Film Announces The Milwaukee Show Line-up

October 23 event to showcase 10 local filmmakers


MILWAUKEE Milwaukee Film announces the line-up for The Milwaukee Show, October 23 at 6:30 p.m. The event will showcase a variety of local short films presented in the main auditorium of Landmark's Oriental Theatre, 2230 N. Farwell Ave., Milwaukee. The one-night-only screening will feature a collection of 10 films, spanning 90 minutes, and include traditional narrative storytelling, documentary, personal memoir, music video, comedy, experimental and more.

The nine competition shorts to be screened were selected from a pool of nearly 70 submissions, more than twice the number received in past years, by an independent panel of judges. The panel included Elfrieda Abbe, Duane Dudek, Steve Hyden, Blyth Meier, Christine Prevetti, Scott Radtke, Bobby Tanzilo and Jessica Zalewski.

"Launching our new organization with The Milwaukee Show was no accident," said Jonathan Jackson, artistic director for Milwaukee Film. "We believe in the talent of the local film scene and wanted to champion that with our inaugural screening. It's essential that Milwaukee filmmakers are given an annual opportunity to show their work in front of a large audience, at such an incredible venue." The event will double as the launch party for Milwaukee Film.

In addition to showcasing the current filmmaking trends in Milwaukee, The Milwaukee Show will feature an Audience Award and a Jury Award. The Jury Award includes a production prize package valued at over $20,000.

Artists Excited To Show Their Films


"You know people are working on films in Milwaukee, and this is the night you actually see what they made. It's the one night everybody in the community meets each other," said Cris Siqueira, director of the film "Ka-Doo." Siqueira will be in attendance at the screening, as well as all of the local filmmakers who will be showing their films at The Milwaukee Show.

"The cool thing about the last few years is that the film scene in Milwaukee seems like it's moved from the underground to the surface," said Andrew Swant and Bobby Ciraldo, the creative team that made "Zombie Killer," and last year's Milwaukee International Film Festival sensation "What What." "It's kind of like the film festival and the Internet have lifted up this big rock and exposed so many local works to the light of day."

Screening outside of the competition will be the world premiere of "The Waiting Room," a short film produced by Collaborative Cinema in partnership with Milwaukee Film. "The Waiting Room" was written by local high school student Emily Downes, directed by Tate Bunker, produced by Mark Metcalf and funded by The Richard and Ethel Herzfeld Foundation. Downes won an area-wide contest that nearly 150 high school students participated in.

Tickets are available for $10 at the Landmark Oriental Theatre box office, 4-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; noon-10 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Following The Milwaukee Show guests are invited to join Milwaukee Film staff and supporters at the Discovery World – Pilot House, 500 N. Harbor Dr., for the opportunity to meet the filmmakers.


About Milwaukee Film

Milwaukee Film was founded in 2008 to serve as the area's independent organization dedicated to hosting Milwaukee's premier film festival. Milwaukee Film is led by former staff members of the Milwaukee International Film Festival and continues to be funded by key contributors who are passionate about engaging the community.

The Milwaukee Show Line-up

"The Answer" (4 min.)
Written, directed and edited by Paul C. Fuchs
Discover the simple two-step process that will change your life forever.

"Crossing the Line" (9 min.)
Directed by Matthew Batta
This probing documentary is an emotional look at the Tyson Foods strike in Jefferson County from 2003.

"Houses Without Walls" (5 min.)
Written, directed and edited by Heidi Spencer
Imagination moves through a still frame in space, connecting the living and the deceased, my own family lineage.

"I Want You to Know" (16 min.)
Directed, produced and edited by Derek Kimball
Written and produced by Matthew Konkel
A bated tension and quiet disclosure provides the milieu for this father and son camping narrative about reserved honesty and stunted youth.

"Ka-Doo" (11 min.)
Written, directed and edited by Cris Siqueira
Originally created as an installation piece, "Ka-Doo" is a reminiscent collage reflecting on love, ghosts, grapes and redemption.

"Otto's Day" (7 min.)
Directed by Ji-Sun O
"Otto's Day" portrays an ordinary day in the life of an old man who lives alone in a city apartment.

"To Write on Burning Paper" (17 min.)
Directed by Brian Gallagher
This poetic documentary looks at film artists who create films through direct application.

"The Waiting Room" (15 min.)
Directed by Tate Bunker
Produced by Mark Metcalf
Written by Emily Downes
In a room full of strangers, people come and they go…while a young woman waits.

"Who Me Was" (3 min.)
Directed by Annie Killelea
Reflective thoughts of a love lost are explored on a faded, blissful afternoon.

"Zombie Killer" (4 min.)
Directed by Andrew Swant & Bobby Ciraldo
Leslie and The Lys perform for a sold out stadium…of zombies.

The Milwaukee Show Judge Biographies

Elfrieda Abbe is the publisher of both The Writer and Bead & Button magazines. She was a judge on the World Cinema Program Committee for the Milwaukee International Film Festival.

Duane Dudek is film critic for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and has been reviewing and writing about film for almost 30 years.

Steven Hyden is the Milwaukee city editor for The Onion A.V. Club and its new Web site, milwaukee.decider.com. He lives in Bay View with his wife Val and a spunky pug named Lu.

Blyth Meier is a freelance filmmaker, photographer and writer who served on various programming committees for the Milwaukee International Film Festival.

Christine Prevetti is the DVD selector for the Milwaukee Public Library system and is a member of the Arts and Media Department at the Central Library.

Scott Radtke, owner of the Riverhorse, and film enthusiast, has written about film for the now-defunct magazine, The Press, and was a writer for the Milwaukee International Film Festival program guide.

Bobby Tanzilo writes about film for OnMilwaukee.com, where he serves as managing editor. He is also a co-coordinator of the Milwaukee Italian Film Festival, currently planning for its third year.

Jessica Zalewski is the marketing specialist and publications designer for the Racine Art Museum. A film enthusiast and photographer, she volunteered with the Milwaukee International Film Festival as a programming committee member from 2005 to 2007, and has occasionally appeared in local productions.

Milwaukee Film Board

Chris Abele, Milwaukee Film board chairman; president and CEO of the Argosy Foundation
Tina Chang, CEO of SysLogic
Alec Fraser, partner at Michael Best & Friedrick, LLP; current chair of the UPAF board
Bill Haberman, partner at Michael Best & Friedrick, LLP; president of the Herzfeld Foundation; chair, Public Policy Forum
Carmen Haberman, vice president of the Herzfeld Foundation
Marianne Lubar, philanthropist and community volunteer
Paul Mathews, president of the Marcus Center, former Milwaukee County Supervisor
Julia Taylor, president of the Greater Milwaukee Committee

Milwaukee Film Staff

Jonathan Jackson – Artistic Director: Oversees the content and programming for the organization's events. Jackson previously served as the artistic director for the Milwaukee International Film Festival, directing film programming from 2003 to 2008. He previously worked as the program manager of the UWM Union Theatre and has curated film programs for the Milwaukee Art Museum.

Kyle Heller – Operations Director: Oversees logistics and operations planning for the organization. Heller previously worked with the Milwaukee International Film Festival in a similar capacity from 2004 to 2008.

T.J. Fackelman – Program Coordinator: Oversees development of special events and programming. A graduate of Marquette University, Fackelman previously worked with the Milwaukee International Film Festival from 2003 to 2008, with primary responsibilities for coordinating the Midwest Filmmaker Competition.

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Wednesday, October 01, 2008

The Future of Independent Film Has Arrived: Meet Milwaukee Film

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by Howie Goldklang + Photo by Kat Berger

Photobucket

Film festivals are a tough business, man. One day you’re wearing your cleanest dirty suit in some board room asking for sponsorship money and the next you might be unloading office furniture from a rental truck, arguing about which films to program or waiting around for the Road Runner guy to show up between 3 pm and 10 pm on a Tuesday. And so it goes, on and on into an abyss of film submissions, stacks of papers and messes of wires up and down your office walls, dealing with filmmakers, the endless quest for sponsor dollars, securing equipment partners, a constant need to build build build – film programs, screenings, screenplay readings, competitions, contests, and then your actual festival! My god, you mean we have to show films? Yes! Creating the printed program, hawking down sponsors for ads two weeks late, finding reliable projectionists, pulling a jury together, organizing parties and panels, printing tickets and those cool-guy laminated passes, glad-handing sponsors, and on and on into an abyss of …

You get it. The film festival world is a fucking grind and to be the core staff of a successful one means you are either crazy, bulletproof or both. Enter Jonathan Jackson, Kyle Heller and T.J. Fackelman – keys to the defunct Milwaukee International Film Festival (MIFF) now forging ahead with a new organization called MILWAUKEE FILM. (Peep the Facebook group of the same name. Now!)

But wait? What the hell happened to MIFF? We’re a beer and shot away from that conversation, so if you see me at a bar, walk over with a Magic Hat and Makers and we can get into it. For now, think about reasons that arts non-profits might split. Then think about who the original organizers were. Go ahead, name names. Then do a Mad Libs called FOUNDERS VS. FESTIVAL and carefully place the words Money, Ego, Sponsors, Vision, Credit and Direction. Then buy me another drink. (Search the REEL MILWAUKEE Blog at vitalsourcemag.com for more on the 4W/H about what happened to MIFF.) But I digress.

Can you imagine doing the brick-by-brick, day-to-day festival grind for five years and without warning, it’s gone? These dudes couldn’t. Up from the ashes came Milwaukee Film, which is both a kick to the teeth of the powers that stole MIFF from Milwaukee and a dog whistle to independent filmmakers and artists in Milwaukee that the real supporters of MIFF don’t go out like that.

“The whole staff went through a grieving process. Having put a festival together for the last five years, I feel like a big part of my life is missing,” says Milwaukee Film Artistic Director Jonathan Jackson. “Ultimately though, I am ecstatic about the future. We have an incredible opportunity to create a cultural organization that will maximize its potential and provide entertaining and socially conscious film programming throughout the year. We can’t guarantee perfection, but the staff and board of Milwaukee Film are going to work tirelessly
to achieve it.”

Stoked, right? Ready to roll up your sleeves and get all film crazy? Mayor Barrett is too. “I am pleased,” says Tom, “that Milwaukee will continue to host this international event which highlights our tremendous cultural landscape and local talent.”

And the Mayor’s not the only one on board, big Milwaukee players (read: money dudes) are there too. Chris Abele, President and CEO of the Argosy Foundation, echoes the Mayor’s sentiments. “We are excited to help shape the future of a new international film festival in Milwaukee,” says Chris. “We’ve already received an overwhelmingly positive response from funders, and their generous seed money has built great momentum as we move forward with plans for the new festival.” Sweet!

Adds Jonathon: “Our goal is that Milwaukee Film will eventually play a central role in [Milwaukee’s] year-round film culture. We are planning a major festival for 2009, but we are equally focused on developing events throughout the year, education programs for students and production initiatives to help foster our burgeoning film scene. There is a need in Milwaukee for more foreign and independent film exhibition, and we intend to work towards satisfying it.”

Milwaukee Film’s inaugural screening is on October 23. The Milwaukee Show will be a premiere showcase of diverse locally-made short films at the Oriental Theatre. Films were submitted for screening consideration at no cost, and the top filmmaker will receive a Milwaukee Filmmaker prize package valued at over $10,000, including a camera rental package from North American Camera.

Also on tap is the Milwaukee premiere of award-winning feature-length documentary Song Sung Blue on November 6, also at the Oriental. It follows the story of Milwaukee favorites Lightning & Thunder, a homegrown husband and wife singing duo that pay tribute to the music of Neil Diamond. From humble beginnings to their arrival on the world stage, and through success and tragedy, the film shows a couple who pursue an impossible dream while staying true to each other amid life’s toughest challenges. Talk about hitting the ground running. Milwaukee Film is ready to rock and now you are too. VS

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Friday, September 26, 2008

Milwaukee Film Wants You!  Volunteer Today!

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Want to meet fun, new people? Want free movie tickets? Want to help with Milwaukee's newest film festival?

Milwaukee Film is currently seeking enthusiastic and dedicated individuals to help us out with upcoming events. Milwaukee Film are looking to fill volunteer positions in all areas from ticket-taking and ushering at the theatres to helping make sure the parties run smoothly.

Please email or send a message on Facebook or Myspace, and include all of your contact information (email, phone #, address).

Volunteering is the best way to ensure that Milwaukee's film festival becomes the institution Milwaukee deserves. You also receive great benefits, for each shift volunteered you will get 1 ticket to the 2009 Film Festival presented by Milwaukee Film.

If you know anyone who is interested in volunteering, please forward this message to them and tell them to e-mail with their contact information.

Volunteer information for the Milwaukee Show on October 23rd and Song Sung Blue on November 6th will be released shortly so sign up quickly!

Thank you in advance for your support!

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Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Announcing The 1st Annual Horror Movie Trailer Festival - AMAZING!

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Hi Vital Friends:

This festival sums up what 6pack, late-night-idea filmmaking is all about.

You don't have to make the movie, just the trailer! Amazing!

from the festival organizers:
-------------------------------------------------------------
Do you have a video camera?
Do you have a Mac? (or are you smart enough to handle a PC?)

THEN you can create and enter a horror movie trailer into THE FIRST ANNUAL HORROR MOVIE TRAILER FESTIVAL!!

http://www.freewebs.com/alchemistlounge/
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ladies and Gentlemen, Ghosts and Ghouls, Film-makers and Scream-queens...

Introducing the First Annual HORROR FILM TRAILER FESTIVAL!

Have a horror film that you want to promote? No? PERFECT!!!
We are currently taking submissions for 1 to 2 minute advertising preview movies for Horror Films that may or may not exist... or ever exist!

Make them serious, creepy and bloody!
Make them hillarous... or hillariously serious, creepy and bloody!

The most popular Horror Film Trailer will win... well... something!

Festival will be hosted by one (or more) of Joe Schmitz's characters!
Films start rolling at 8:00 with costume party to follow in The Alchemist Lounge!

SEE YOU THERE!! MOO-HOO-HA-HA!!! (evil laugh)

http://www.freewebs.com/alchemistlounge/
http://www.freewebs.com/alchemistlounge/
http://www.freewebs.com/alchemistlounge/

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Thursday, September 04, 2008

Get Your LGBT Film Fest On

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Sept 4 - 14, 2008

LGBT Film Festival - Milwaukee, WI
click above for full schedule

One of the community's longest running film festivals celebrates its 21st anniversary with an international array of the finest and newest in films and videos by and about the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. The screening-packed eleven days of features, documentaries, and shorts opens at the Oriental Theatre with the local premiere of Tom Gustafson's Were the World Mine. The Milwaukee LGBT Film/Video Festival is sponsored by the Cream City Foundation's Joseph R. Pabst LGBT Infrastructure Fund and the Greater Milwaukee Foundation's Johnson & Pabst LGBT Humanity Fund.

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